Is homicidal smiley gas possible?
In the 1989 Batman movie[1],
the Joker uses a gas that makes the muscles on your face contract into a "smile" to kill people.
My question is simple; is there currently, or is there a way to make, a chemical that can make someone "smile to death". I imagine that such a substance would cause the muscles in ones' face to contract into a "smile", though it really doesn't matter to me how it works, just that it does. Bonus if you can make the chemical airborne so that we can gas those pesky --insert scapegoat ethnicity or cultural minority here-- with maximum efficiency. Because "if you've gotta go, you might as well go with a smile!" ;-)
I am not going to make it a requirement, but I would absolutely love to hear them laugh maniacally too ;-)
No, not laughing gas. Like in the movie. I cannot explain what happened any better than that.
[1] Yes, after you read the entire question (assuming you did) you will likely backtrack and say "Batman isn't hard-science." I know this and you know this. I don't care, I still want any answers to be based in [hard]science. Answers that are not will be downvoted ruthlessly! If "no, this is completely unrealistic" is the answer, that is fine.
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My chief reference here is Appendino et al. (2009), though this possibility was first brought to my attention by this National Geographic article.
The Joker's real-world substance of choice? Oenanthe crocata, a type of water dropwort, later infamously dubbed the "sardonic herb". Ancient Sardinians administered it to the elderly as a sort of sedative, shortly before killing them via various unpleasant methods. However, it large enough doses, it can kill the victim, as the neurotoxins contained in oenanthe crocata can be quite potent (see also Schep et al. (2009)).
The major neurotoxin here is oenanthotoxin (not too creatively named). In short, it binds to the receptors in the central nervous system that would otherwise receive gamma-Aminobutyric acid, better known as GABA. GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in mammals, meaning that it reduces the chance of sending a signal. If the receptors for GABA are blocked, the nervous system cannot function properly, and the person dies.
Now, oenanthotoxin also causes the risus sardonicus, the "sardonic grin" on the corpses of those given enough oenanthotoxin via oenanthe crocata. This arises from contractions of facial muscles due to the blockage of the receptors for the GABA neurotransmitter.
I haven't been able to figure out how oenanthotoxin could be made airborne, but I'll let the Joker know if I see him. I'm aware of gasotransmitters (see also Mustafa et al. (2009)), but I don't believe that oenanthotoxin is a member of that family.
Also, risus sardonicus can also arise early on from tetanus (according to the CDC); however, most patients with tetanus survive, so it would be a very inefficient poison. That said, according to this page, the Joker deliberately infected a child with tetanus, which led to risus sardonicus - so somebody seems to have beaten us there! Still, I prefer oenanthotoxin, because it's much more lethal.
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